ballad_ex_lorefandomcom-20200215-history
Alfonso Crichello
Alfonso Crichello was a Kymurian writer who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Sra language and one of Panguilla's pre-eminent novelists. His masterpiece Czar Xaley has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Angelican Texts. Czar Xaley is sometimes considered the first modern novel, a classic of Sra literature, and among the best works of fiction ever written. Early Life It is assumed that Crichello was born in Henares, a Mollian city about 213 miles north-west from Saffira, 693KF. The probable date of his birth was determined from records in the church register, given the tradition of naming a child after the feast day of his birth. He was baptized in Henares church of St Obed. Little is known of Crichello's early years. It seems he spent much of his childhood moving from town to town with his family, eventually enrolling in The Imperial School, an Angelican educational establishment for boys in Great Elavor. Writing Crichello's first known published writing dates to 728KF, when he contributed some poetry to a memorial collection after the death of Elizabeth of Dannenholm, the wife of Lord Frenntolic. But by the following decade, Crichello had put his pen aside and, instead, picked up a weapon, joining a K ymurian military unit in in opposition to Lord Frenntolic's plans. Known for his bravery, Crichello took part in the Battle of Taran, suffering two chest wounds and the complete maiming of his left hand. Despite his disability, however, Crichello continued to serve as a soldier for several more years. In 739KF, Crichello published his first novel, The Story of King Morrin, but the pastoral romance failed to make much of an impact. Around the same time, Crichello tried to make it inot the then-lucrative world of theatre. (Plays were an important form of entertainment in Kymuria during the era, and a successful playwright could earn a good living.) Unfortunately, Crichello achieved neither fortune nor fame with his plays. Afterwards, Crichello began working for the Kymurian Guild of Traders as a commissary. It was a thankless job, which involved collecting grain supplies from rural communities. When many did not want to provide the required goods, Crichello was charged with mismanagement and ended up in prison. However, it was during this trying time that he began to write some of literature's greatest masterpieces. In 745KF, while in jail, Crichello published the first part of Czar Xaley, a novel that tells the story of an elderly Zeor man who becomes so enamoured by the old stories of Mountain Adventurers that he seeks out to become the ancient "Czar of Zeor." The title character soon gets lost in his own fantasy world and convinces a poor peasant, Santon, to serve as his squire. In one scene, the deluded "Czar" even fights a lighthouse, mistaking it for a giant. Czar Xaley became Panguilla's first best seller and was eventually translated into more than 60 different languages. Crichello published the second part of the story in 749KF.